These statistics do reveal what people anticipate and how they feel about working with bots. What are your thoughts?

Here are the findings of a recent survey on the future of work.

Artificial intelligence and robotics are terms that one hears these days in HR. Until a few years ago they seemed like a far-fetched reality but not any longer. Thanks to technological advancements people have started taking notice and are talking about it a little more, every day. Some are apprehensive while others are confident and reassured that it’s for good.

One thing’s for sure that all bots are intelligent machines and that robotic process automation is somehow making work easier for organizations. Companies are using AI-based chat systems. Bots are already a part of the workforce. And they are all hinting at the inevitable, i.e., they are going to be integrated into the work scene sooner or later and change employee experience whether one likes it or not.

A Bengaluru based recruitment firm, CIEL HR already has a wonder machine-employee they call Tony. Tony reduces 20% of the workload of the human resource managers by doing preliminary screening of candidate resumes.  Bots like Tony are enabling recruiters to take time of tasks they can easily handle and instead spend time on more complex tasks.

Though Tony is an example of a bot doing a less complex job, what if there comes a time when bots become more intelligent? What if they take over because they are deemed to be fit to become our boss? How comfortable would you be with having to report to a machine? While you think about it here’s what Pegasystems found out in a survey.

The published report is titled The Future of Work. 88% respondents said they were fine with working alongside these intelligent bots but 4 out of 5 people – which is a majority –  said they would be uncomfortable if they are going to be managed by an intelligent machine.

Here are some key findings of the report:

• 69% expect ‘workforce’ to be used to refer to both humans and machine employees.

• 79% survey respondents think artificial intelligence will be used for coordination and scheduling work.

• 76% see AI doing quality control.

• 65% believe AI will interview and shortlist candidates within the next ten years.

• 7 out of 10 survey takers said that within 10 years it would be a common exercise to use AI to evaluate employee performance.

• 86% anticipate a TripAdvisor kind of ratings to being given to the frontline staff in next ten years.

• 76% believe that AI will equip employees at the junior level to make more informed decisions thereby reducing the number of middle managers in the hierarchy.

• 2/3 of survey respondents say AI will result in transparency at work vis-à-vis meritocracy.

These statistics do reveal what people anticipate and how they feel about working with bots. What are your thoughts? Do you feel prepared enough to work with bot bosses if ever there comes such a time? Will you feel disrupted and displaced? Or are you motivated to upskill than live in anxiety and fear?